Pimentel says SD cards' supplier should not be paid in full

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III on Friday said the supplier of the Secure Digital (SD) cards that were used in the recent midterm polls, should not be paid for in full.

Interviewed on Dobol B sa News TV, Pimentel said the SD cards' supplier should be penalized after more than 1000 SD cards malfunctioned days leading to and during Election Day.

"Una sa lahat, hindi dapat bayaran 'yung 1,000 na hindi nag-function... Hindi dapat bayaran ng buo 'yan," Pimentel said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.

"Pangalawa, meron dapat penalty 'yan. Ginagarantiya mo na siyempre gobyerno 'yung bumili sayo, nag-deliver ka ng hindi nagfa-function na item. Eleksyon pa," he added.

Also, the senator said that the agreement between the Commission on Elections and the SD cards' supplier would be checked.

"'Yung supplier ng SD cards, tandaan mo SD cards lang 'yan, 1000 kaagad ang depektibo. Anong klase pala 'yung nai-supply? So ang titingnan natin diyan 'yung kontrata nila with Comelec," Pimentel said.

Pimentel warned that Comelec commissioners may be held liable if proven that they failed to check the SD cards well.

"Dapat may internal investigation ang Comelec anong nangyari diyan, sino nagpabidding diyan? Sino nag-approve? Nung mai-deliver 'yan nagrandom testing ba 'yan?" Pimentel said.

"'Yung pinakamataas sa Comelec, 'yung commissioners, impeachment naman ang penalty nila. Ganon po 'yan. Lahat 'yan pwede, depende sa lalabas na ebidensya," he added.

Earlier, Commissioner Rowena Guanzon also said the suppliers must not be paid in full.

Moreover, Pimentel said that the same goes with the vote-counting machines (VCMs) that did not work last May 13.

Comelec chairman Sheriff Abas has said the poll body would have to evaluate if the same set of VCMs purchased in 2016 can still be used for the third straight election in 2022, considering that 961 VCMs broke down in the last polls.

Pimentel said the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on the Automated Election System will conduct a probe on the election problems on June 4. —Anna Felicia Bajo/LBG, GMA News